The Rock Band franchise and its fellow rhythm action series have typically been seen as console games, but given that most titles are making the transition across to the PC these days, some gamers may have been hoping that upcoming installment Rock Band 4 would be following suit when it launches this Christmas.
It turns out that’s not the case. In an interview with Eurogamer, developer Harmonix explained why they have decided not to make a PC version.
”There are a few reasons,” says Harmonix’ Daniel Sussman. ”One has to do with the fact the library is not there on PC. The library is there on Xbox and PlayStation. So, for players who want it on PC, really you’re looking at a new audience that hasn’t played before, and I don’t know to what degree there is an audience for new players who have never played Rock Band before on the PC. That’s one piece of it.”
There’s also a more familiar reason, that we’ve head from game developers countless times before; the threat of piracy. Sussman says that there is ”something comforting about the closed network that comes along with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. That’s important to our partners in the music industry.”
When Valve’s Steam Machines finally make their debut later this year, and the PC potentially makes its transition into a living room device to rival traditional consoles, Harmonix may reconsider. They’ll take some convincing, however.
”I think that is a big thing and we’re still waiting for that to be more than a thing we think is coming,” Sussman explains. ”But for it to be a thing that is absolutely there before we go that way.”
